Minister: Focus on unmanned ships!

If it was up to Industry Minister Brian Mikkelsen, Denmark would be one of the first countries to really focus on unmanned ships and ferries. The minister said this in a statement on the Danish Maritimes Annual Meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

"You are good at spotting new opportunities and seize them - and I think that you'll do just that here," said Brian Mikkelsen.

"The increasing digitization and automation in production and business will have huge impact on the Blue Denmark. Traditional procedures will face competition from digitally based business models, automated production and autonomous or unmanned ships", the minister said, but stressed that Denmark is well prepared.

"The trademark of Denmark as a maritime nation is the fact that we have been able to develop ourselves, we are adaptable - we see opportunities rather than problems. There has been plenty of new maritime jobs. Often in new areas that build on new knowledge," emphasized Brian Mikkelsen.

"Throughout Denmark, companies, employees and politicians have worked hard for decades to turn globalization to our advantage. And it has largely succeeded in the maritime sector in Denmark."